How can I get the rights to adapt a King short story for theatre?

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JamesMorton

Member
Feb 5, 2014
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Hi everyone!

Hardcore Stephen King fan here - even wrote my dissertation on father-son relationships in The Shining. I run an amateur theatre company in London called Embers Productions (@embersprojects) and we're staging an evening of horror-themed short plays in March. I'm really keen to adapt the story "Quitters, Inc." into a 10-minute play - any idea how I can acquire permission?

Any help anyone can offer will be hugely appreciated!

Thanks,
James
 

JamesMorton

Member
Feb 5, 2014
5
35
34
Stephen may no longer own the rights as this has already been developed as a commercial film project. I would need to check with his agent. Is it your intention to develop this as a commercial (for profit) stage production?

Thanks for the welcome mustangclaire, and thanks for getting in touch, Moderator. Basically, for 2 nights this March at a 42-seat fringe theatre in Camden in London, we're staging a show (about 90 mins in total) composed of four short horror-themed plays. Three of the pieces are new writing from unestablished playwrights without agents, and for the fourth, we were hoping to adapt Quitters Inc. We do intend to charge people to watch the show, but given the size of the venue and length of the run, it's doubtful we'll make a profit, so that money will probably go to just covering expenses (venue hire, props, etc.)

Do you know if this would be possible?

Thanks again,
James
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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...dammit Jim, I'm welcoming you to the Board-not doctoring!(wow, did I EVER butcher that cliché)...
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Moderator

Ms. Mod
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Thanks for the welcome mustangclaire, and thanks for getting in touch, Moderator. Basically, for 2 nights this March at a 42-seat fringe theatre in Camden in London, we're staging a show (about 90 mins in total) composed of four short horror-themed plays. Three of the pieces are new writing from unestablished playwrights without agents, and for the fourth, we were hoping to adapt Quitters Inc. We do intend to charge people to watch the show, but given the size of the venue and length of the run, it's doubtful we'll make a profit, so that money will probably go to just covering expenses (venue hire, props, etc.)

Do you know if this would be possible?

Thanks again,
James

That you are charging admission still makes it a commercial venture. I'll pass this along to Stephen's agent but my guess is that he does not hold the stage rights. If possible, I'll see if I can find out who does so that you can contact them if it turns out not to be Stephen.